Simple Dieting Tips

Sometimes we pack on a few pounds and go into panic mode. Looking to diet & get rid of those extra pounds as fast as we can. While lowering things such as carbohydrate intake can be helpful, some studies say that quick weight loss can result in just as quick of a weight gain after you’re done dieting.

So what do we do if we want to get rid of the extra pounds this time of year? We’ve put together some simple dieting tips that should help you gradually lose the weight in a safe way without packing it right back on.

First things first…

Weight loss is not linear no matter what anyone says. Losing 1-2 pounds a week is considered the safe amount & is the best way to go about your weight loss safely. Another thing to keep in mind is not all foods are counted the same. A vegetable & a candy bar can have the same amount of calories, one can make you feel full while another will leave you craving more food which can significantly halt your weight loss efforts.

Cut Down on Sugars

Many of us consume a much higher amount of sugar than we even know we do. This is because many things that we consume have sugar that we would never expect. Things such as bread, canned soups, sauces, others to name a few contain astronomical amounts of sugars. Sugar has a direct effect on your waistline because sugar contributes to abdominal fat.

Thinking of switching to diet soda? Think again, this can cause your body to crave sugars and can cause weight gain. A good alternative is carbonated water or as we all love TEA! Unsweetened tea is great & natural sweeteners such as stevia are perfect alternatives to sugar.

Don’t quit sugar all at once. You don’t want to send your body into shock & you’ll do exactly that by just dropping sugar. What you want to do is slowly reduce your intake of sugar so that you give your body, taste buds, & mind time to adjust to the switch, leaving you less likely to crave sweets as often.

Cook Your Own Meals

The problem is often that many of us have busy lives and no time to make our own meals. Preparing meals for the next day the night before can provide a convenience that you previously didn’t take advantage of. Cooking your own meals can be important because it allows you to be in charge of your eating environment.

This way you know what is going into your food, what your foods nutritional value is & ultimately you get to make yourself a meal that you’ll enjoy more because you get to decide what goes into it.

Cooking your own meals also puts you in charge of portion size, lowering the size of you meal portions can be very effective in helping your diet.

The most important meal of the day…

 You may have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This is more true when it comes to dieting than ever before. Studies suggest that if you have more for breakfast and cut down on dinner, this can help increase your metabolism & stop you from feeling hungry throughout the day. This means more time to burn off the calories and less time for snacking.

Drink More Water.

Lastly you’re going to want to increase your water intake. Your body can confuse thirst with hunger, which obviously will lead to a higher calorie intake. So by drinking water more often you can avoid all the extra calories along with all the added health benefits of keeping your body hydrated.